Part II: Careers in Flight Test Engineering

After announcing my big news that I was selected on a full fellowship to attend the National Test Pilot School, I received a lot of interest from readers wanting to know a whole lot more about flight test engineering and the adventure I’ll be embarking on come January 2022!

This is part two of a three part series on Flight Test Engineering.

You can find part one by clicking here. It gives a brief introduction to flight test engineering, the role flight test engineers play, and why flight test engineering is a crucial step to the development and certification of aircraft and spacecraft.

In part two we’ll discuss the unique skills required of flight test engineers and some examples of where you might work as a Flight Test Engineer.

Finally, in part three I’ll tell you how I scored an opportunity to get paid to attend the National Test Pilot School and how you can apply in the future!

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If you’ve decided that flight test engineering sounds like a pretty cool career, it’s helpful to understand some of the skills that make a good Flight Test Engineer. I’ve listed a few below that might help when applying to and interviewing for FTE jobs.

Leadership & Teamwork: As I mentioned in part one, FTEs are responsible for many phases of a flight test program. As such, a Flight Test Engineer must possess the skills required to successfully integrate and coordinate a diverse team that can effectively work together to fulfill the objectives of the test campaign.

Problem Solving & Communication Skills: Flight Test Engineers are able to break down a problem into finite characteristics that can be fixed and succinctly convey their findings in a way that will get the stakeholders to spend money on it. Further, because FTEs must write test plans & reports and present test findings, excellent verbal and written communication skills become even more crucial.

Safety/Risk Management: No matter where you work, safety and the management of risks will undoubtedly be a priority for the company, especially in the aerospace and space industries where almost every decision you make could have dire consequences. As a Flight Test Engineer, you’ll learn how to safely design and execute a test and effectively communicate the results.

Technical Competence & Confidence: Everyone I have spoken to who has been through a flight test engineering program has told me that test pilot school will undoubtedly challenge you in many ways. Mainly, between classes, presentations, flying, etc., you’ll feel like you have more tasks to complete than hours available in a week. It’s important to learn how to prioritize tasks accordingly. The payoff is that you’ll graduate from the program with the expertise to lead with confidence and the technical competence to back it up.

In reality, the skills you acquire as a Flight Test Engineer can be leveraged to make you a great candidate for an incredibly wide range of jobs in nearly any industry. Remember, just because a job doesn’t specifically ask for a flight test engineering certification, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t speak to the unique skills and experience you can bring to the table. In actuality, the skills learned in a flight test engineering professional course, have the ability to bring depth to many areas of an aerospace/space professional’s career.

Where can you work as a Flight Test Engineer? Here is just a short list of the endless possibilities (in alphabetical order).

• AeroTEC
• Air Force/Navy
• Blue Origin
• Boeing
• Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation
• Honda Aircraft Company
• Joby Aviation
• Lift Aircraft
• Lockheed Martin
• Modern Technology Solutions Inc. (MTSI)
• NASA
• Northrop Grumman
• SpaceX
• Stratolaunch
• Textron Aviation
• Virgin Galactic
• World View

Stay tuned for part three and drop a comment here or on Instagram if you liked this post or have any questions!

Kate